Part Thai by Chef Rishi Arora is an ode to his mixed Indian-Thai heritage

Birthed during the pandemic as a Thai food delivery business, Part Thai has evolved into a private dining outfit in Singapore.

By Amy Van / 11 Nov 2022

Rishi Arora spent close to two decades in Thailand.

Private dining, Thai Cuisine

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During the pandemic, Rishi Arora, a Singaporean of north Indian descent, founded Part Thai as a food delivery business. The idea came about after friends had tried his Thai food multiple times and persuaded him to try his hand at this.

“In the end, I was booked solid and I was on my feet cooking throughout the Circuit Breaker, which led me to consider pursuing this as a full time gig and growing the business. Private dining seemed like the obvious next step, so I left my job and started hosting small groups of five until I could host more customers.”

The son of a first-generation Thai citizen and a first-generation Singaporean, he shares, “My family moved to Thailand during my secondary education, and I lived there for close to 20 years before moving back to Singapore in 2018.” Having studied pastry and cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu Dusit in Thailand, Arora opened Tribeca, an all-day brunch restaurant in Bangkok.

Heritage dishes with elevated flavours

Yum Khao Tord (crispy rice salad) topped with raw mango salad. (Photo: Athirah Annissa)

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On Part Thai’s unique concept, Arora says, “Given my Thai and Indian background, some dishes we cooked at home in Bangkok were personal creations based on our palates and knowledge of Thai food. So my customers do get to try a different side of Thai food, which isn’t readily available even in Thailand.”

In his unique style, Arora elevates classic Thai comfort dishes with punchy, layered flavours and textures. He also tries to stay as true as possible to the original ingredients, which means he doesn’t stray too far away from the essence of the dishes.

Crispy Rice Salad (Yum Khao Tord) is one of his most popular dishes. “This has a crispy rice base which I marinate with spices and deep-fry and then toss with herbs and a shrimp chilli jam sauce before finally topping it with a raw mango salad. There are two layers of crunch, plus lots of sweet and sour elements that come together really well,” he says.

Related: 3 private dining chefs forging ahead with Asian cuisine

Thai dishes with a unique twist

Khai Luk Koey (son-in-law eggs), or soft-boiled eggs garnished with tamarind sauce and garlic chilli crisps. (Photo: Athirah Annissa)

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“The Mama’s Special is another popular dish that was created by and named after my late mother. Fresh chunks of sea bass or tiger prawns are battered and deep-fried before being tossed with herbs like kaffir lime leaf, coriander and a tom yum-based sauce. It tastes like home for me, and I constantly go back to this dish and thoroughly enjoy it with plain rice.”

Other creations with a twist include Khao Soi or Chiang Mai curry noodles with French-style duck leg confit and stir-fried sticky rice with basil and grilled steak.

“Even though I trained in a French culinary school, cooking Thai food is a whole other territory that requires a lot of trial and error to get the right balance in flavours and textures. Thankfully, I had time during the years of living in Thailand to learn from family and practise the recipes myself,” says Rishi.

While Part Thai’s menus usually change every two months, Arora switches things up more often for regulars or diners with dietary restrictions.

Price: $138 per person; minimum six persons per booking

Location: Clementi

Reservation: 9126-8970

Related: This Singapore chef serves contemporary Malay cuisine at Arang

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Private dining, Thai Cuisine